www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Ikon Corners

Slava Isusu Christu!

hello, i was wondering how many of you
byzantine catholics/eastern orthodox, and maybe
even some roman catholics have Ikon corners.

How did you set your guys up? and what is in
your ikon corner.

From: Daniel H.
In The Theotokos

Slava Ni Viki!

Dear St. Benedict Rule,

I personally have three very beautiful icons set up in the dining room of my house. Why? This is the most prominent and respectful area of my home.

I have a beautiful Our Lady of Zhrouuytsi icon, A beautiful St. George icon, and a beautiful Thetokos Glykophiloussa icon.

The family Priest has blessed all three of my icons. No Holy Water but he made the sign of the Cross over each of them and said "I bless you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost".

Why no Holy Water? I asked him to bless my icons after having a meal with my family and I guess he doesent carry Holy Water with him.

My icon corner is on a wall near the foyer and allows for those praying before it to be facing east. I have a variety of icons with a prominent cross central with small icons on it, Christ the teacher to the right, the Theotokos to the left and various other icons of saints or those depicting events celebrated in the liturgical year. I have a small shelf below it with some prayer books, a hand censor, and a taper holder. I also have a votive lamp suspened from the wall in front of the icon wall. I hope this helps.

Athanasius

Peace of Christ;
I am Roman Catholic and I have an Icon of "Our Lady of Pertetual Help" above my desk as I am typing to you. Deacon Pat T.O.Carm.

So you had no water in your house for him to bless? This happened one time at my own home and one of my children said, "Father, why don't you just make some Holy Water".

John

Dear Daniel,

I have little icon corners wherever I hang out, like at work!

I'm in the process of building a new icon corner in my new home.

It will be on an eastern wall with icons of Christ and His three-bar Cross, Our Lady and saints from a variety of Particular Churches, including Oriental Orthodox Churches.

I have a portable iconostasis from St Vladimir's Seminary that I also put up, with lamps and draped embroidered towels.

I also have a type of desk where I keep prayerbooks, incense, Holy Water, Communion bread from the previous Liturgy, an embroidered belt and pillow for prostrations.

I have a couch there in the back and my favourite way of relaxing and thinking is to recline with the icons in full view.

Alex

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Here is a picture of my east-facing icon corner circa Pascha, 1 year ago.

[Linked Image]

Its changed a bit, but the same concept behind it. God Bless!

Dear Nik,

Very nice!

I take it you were still in communion with Rome when you had this icon corner?

I see you have the pillars of Orthodoxy and St Tikhon of Moscow.

How has your corner changed after your joining Orthodoxy?

It seems that you didn't need to! (I have those icons too).

Alex

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear Alex,
Glad you like it! Yes indeed I was in communion with Rome when this picture was taken. St. Innocent & Herman also appear in the corner both then and now as well. I now have a small icon of the Synaxis of American Saints & Hospitality of Abraham standing up on top of the shelf too. I've filled the candle holder with red sand these days too, which makes for a wonderful effect IMO.

The icon corner has changed in the books it contains, (I've got the excellent series of books by the Holy Apostles Convent) and by turning the bookshelf to face the east wall instead of facing the corner. But the icons don't need to change except the lower right seasonal icon on the north wall. Of course the covering of the icons with an embrodered towel/napkin is entirely a Ukrainian thing you know. (But is also a great way to prevent from collection on the icons too!)

One of these days I'll have to get a picture of the icon corner in my car. It has a sunglasses holder right above the windshield on the interior of the roof. About 2 years ago I got a few small trypitchs with Our Lady of Kazan, Christ the Teacher & St. Nicholas from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The tryptich fits in the holder perfectly and everyone in the car can see it. I like it a lot. God Bless!

Daniel,

Start simple.

In the place you pray create a special space and enthrone an icon. I�d start with an icon of Christ and then eventually one of the Mother of God. The icon(s) should be easily visible from your place of prayer. The traditional rules state that your icons should be on an eastern wall but sometimes that does not best serve your prayer needs (especially if the eastern wall is not someplace you will see it). Keep your prayer needs (Bible, Psalter, other prayerbooks, etc.) stored close by so that they are available when it is time for prayer.

Remember that it is more important for you to spend a specific time in prayer each day than it is to have a magnificent icon corner. Nik�s icon corner is a wonderful example but you may not have the resources (space or financial) to create something at that level.

Again, start simple and always make sure to keep the focus on prayer.

Admin

Hi Daniel!

I have a Prayer Corner facing east, with a table with my prayer books, hand censer, holy water etc-I do need to reinstall my lampada- I have had some close shaves with oil lamps in the past

Some of the icons include The Rublev "Hospitality of Abraham", the Theotokos "Joy of all who Sorrow", St Silouan the Athonite, the Holy Elders of Optina Pustyn and of course my "FAVE" Saint, the great and holy St Seraphim among many others. I do hope to place there an Icon of the late Father Lev Gillet when he is eventually Glorified (his writings were a major aspect of my coming to consider Orthodoxy and well as the example of Mother Maria of Paris (Skobtsova) So VERY heavily monastic in tone.

Talk to you very soon, I hope.

Brian Patrick

Dear Nik,

Well, as long as you haven't rejected your Ukrainian heritage and identity, I'll swallow that Orthodox thing . . .

Seriously though, how do you use your censor in worship?

I've always wanted to do that properly as a layman, but . . .well, how about it?

Alex

Dear Brian,

Lev Gillet was a wonderful and saintly man - I met a Studite monk who knew Fr. Gillet and met him in London.

Fr. Euthymius Wolinsky told me that when he asked Fr. Gillet about his "communion with Rome," he said that he never denied anything about what he held previously - which is what confuses me.

Was he not Orthodox?

Mother Maria was, as you know, Elizabeth Pilenko, and a great woman and saint.

Has she been glorified at least locally?

Alex

Dear Daniel,

Just when I thought I knew everything there was to know about icon corners, there goes the Administrator and wows me once again . . .

The word "enthronement" is truly what it's all about.

It is a way to honour our Lord and His Saints that springs from what we feel in our hearts.

Also, the Slavic tradition of Icon Corners are that they serve as "punctuation marks" for our lives.

Whenever you receive an icon from someone, that icon reminds you of that person and to pray for that person.

I received icons for my baptism (I forget from whom ), graduations, marriage etc.

Our marriage icon is a large icon of Christ, framed and personally signed at the base by Patriarch Josef Slipyj.

We knelt, the great lady and I, on an embroidered towel while our parents blessed us with Holy Water and that icon.

It was also like having the sainted Patriarch "right there" as well.

As you collect icons in time, you may feel compelled to give one to a friend who is going through a crisis or else to celebrate an event.

Of all the gifts I received from people far and near, the icons are the ones I remember.

They are more than windows into eternity. They reflect the love and friendship of those we know and invite us to keep them in our hearts and prayers.

Alex

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Orthodox Catholic:
[QB]Dear Brian,

Lev Gillet was a wonderful and saintly man - I met a Studite monk who knew Fr. Gillet and met him in London.

Fr. Euthymius Wolinsky told me that when he asked Fr. Gillet about his "communion with Rome," he said that he never denied anything about what he held previously - which is what confuses me.

Was he not Orthodox?

Father Lev, as he once wrote to his mother on the eve of his journey to Orthodoxy, explained that he was going to a Stronger Light, not necessarily a better, but a stronger. I know there are more conservative voices in Orthodoxy who tend to look down on this good man but he has been such a guide for me! He was also heavily involved with the founding of the Benedictines at Chevetogne etc etc as I'm sure you know. WHAT a life!!!!

Peace,
Brian

P.S. Someone mentioned that Metropolitan +Antony of Sourozh in the UK speaks of Mother Maria as Blessed. I don't if any jurisdiction has Glorified her formally. Of course, I prvately honor her and read "A Pearl of Great Price" quite often. Never get tired of hearing her story.